Pastizzi, Malta in a single bite

If I had to explain Malta in one bite, it would be a pastizz. It’s cheap, you eat it standing up, it comes out of the oven hot and you’ll find it in every village. Visitmalta suggests having it with wine or coffee, and to my mind nothing gets you into the island’s food better.

So what exactly is a pastizz?

It’s a savoury flaky pastry, a small parcel that visitmalta describes simply as flaky pastry with a filling. Pastizz is one and pastizzi the plural, which is what you’ll hear at the counter because nobody orders just one. If you’re picturing a Cornish pasty, scale it down, make the pastry far flakier and swap the meat for something softer.

There are two classic fillings, and both appear in the official sources. Ricotta, and mushy peas, which is exactly how visitmalta puts it in English. My advice is to order one of each, because they’re two very different bites and every Maltese person has a favourite.

Where do you buy pastizzi in Malta?

At pastizzerias and snack bars. The Malta Tourism Authority register counts 1,277 licensed snack bars, and Valletta has the most, 162, ahead of St Paul’s Bay and Sliema. Only nine places have the word pastizzeria in their registered name, which tells you something worth knowing. Most of the places that sell them don’t advertise it that way.

I won’t give names or prices, because neither appears in any official source, and the MTA register tells you who holds a licence, not who’s good. What I will give you is a rule of thumb. I’d go to a counter full of locals, with trays coming out of the oven and no laminated menu at the door. And I’d eat them on the spot.

Hot, with coffee or wine

Visitmalta is very clear here. It talks about hot pastizzi on a cold day and says they go perfectly with wine or coffee. I think it’s the best line in its whole food guide. A pastizz reheated in a hotel microwave is nothing like one straight from the oven, and the immediacy is exactly what makes it so Maltese.

In the morning with a coffee, it’s breakfast. Late afternoon with a glass of Maltese wine, it’s an aperitivo. And if you’re heading to Mdina, neighbouring Rabat has 33 licensed snack bars, which makes it a good stop before you walk up.

Ftira, the cold partner

If the pastizz is the hot bite, ftira is the cold one. UNESCO added it to its intangible heritage list in 2020 and describes it as flatter than other Maltese breads, with a thick crust and a light crumb full of big, irregular holes. You split it and fill it with olive oil, tomato, tuna, capers and olives. UNESCO also stresses something I love, that skilled bakers still shape it by hand.

On Gozo, the Ministry for Gozo describes an open ftira topped with potato, onion, capers and anchovies. And on the beach, the rule is ħobż biż-żejt, which is bread filled with tuna after being rubbed with tomato and oil. All of this, with the rest of the island’s dishes, is in my guide to Maltese food.

What I’d do

Pastizzi on day one to get your bearings, and a ftira for the beach day. If you’re watching the budget, I can’t think of a more sensible way to eat without giving up on local food, and my guide to Malta on a budget has plenty more ideas. And if you’re still hungry for something more substantial, the next step is where to eat in Malta.